Store employee stabs attempted robber in Elysian Park

An attempted robber was stabbed by an employee of the store he tried to steal from in Elysian Park on Tuesday. 

It happened at around 4:15 p.m. at the Leo Market, located in the 1300 block of W. Sunset Boulevard near Douglas Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. 

Circumstances leading up to the robbery remain unclear, but investigators say that an employee of the market stabbed the suspect during the incident. Somehow, police say that the employee used the suspect's own knife during the stabbing. 

The suspect was hospitalized in stable condition. They have not yet been identified. 

Officers say that the suspect will be booked on suspicion of attempted robbery. 

KCAL News spoke with the store employee, who recounted the entire ordeal. He said that the suspect walked into the store and asked him a question about drinks while lingering around and waiting for the store to clear out. 

He says that as soon as everyone else was gone, he rushed him while armed with the knife. 

"As soon as I opened the register, I saw him coming, rushing over to the side and he had a knife out already," said Carlos Rosales. "Basically I pinned him down with my left arm and I was able to reach over with my right arm to take away the knife and I essentially went in to stab him. ... The moment when I seen him with the knife, it was either him or me."

He says that his first attempt was unsuccessful because the knife was dull. The second time that he tried though, it pierced the victim which made him stop his attack. 

"He was already on top of me, there's really no, like, running away from that, you know?"

When asked why he responded in the way he did, Rosales says he doesn't feel like there was any other option. 

"I just don't like when people look at you some way and think they can just pull out a knife or a gun and try to intimidate you," Rosales said . "It's a sign of disrespect, you know? I'm obviously gonna try to fight back and respond."